Systems Modelling with iThink™ and STELLA™
Supporting strategy development and ‘intelligent commissioning’
WSP has an established track record in supporting clients in the development of ‘bespoke’ models that address key strategic challenges either as commissioners or as providers of services (see links opposite). A ‘System Dynamics’ (SD) approach enables full engagement with a range of local stakeholders in defining and developing a modelling environment in which strategies can be tested and implementation priorities determined. Listed below are a range of applications where clients have found an SD approach to be useful.
WSP is the preferred provider in the UK and Europe for training in the iThink™/STELLA™ software developed by Isee Systems. We are also developing online modelling applications and environments to support clients and to provide ‘learning environments’ in some key policy areas.
- ‘Quick-fire’ modelling – we can help you
understand a key element of
a ‘problem’ using systems modelling. You are likely to have
a reasonable understanding of the issue at stake and some good information/data
about what is happening but want to translate this into a dynamic model
to explore different scenarios or options. Our role would be to understand
your issue, explore existing data and translate this into a model and short
report. At one end of this spectrum spending a day with a client could produce
a simple output, or we may meet on two occasions to be briefed and then
to present the findings with modelling in-between. Our input could be anything between
2 and 8 days of consultant time and the ‘product’ would be a
runtime version of the model on a CD together with a brief explanation of
assumptions and key outputs.
View an example relating to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. - ‘Strategic’ modelling – let us work with a stakeholder group on an issue that is more complex. This type of intervention typically requires much more preliminary research, individual discussions, stakeholder workshops and specific data acquisition specified by the requirement of the model and normally being sourced from a range of different organisations or departments. This is an ‘organisational learning’ approach that requires expert facilitation as well as modelling skills and will typically be part of a strategic and/or partnership development process.
- ‘Equipping’ the organisation – where an organisation feels in need of developing in-house capacity we can train and mentor individuals in the development of models to support commissioning or project implementation processes as an additional tool to maximise the value of your data in pursuing organisational goals.
- Tool development and deployment – where there is the potential to develop standard tools of wider applicability that would benefit from being underpinned by simple modelling structures we can undertake the tool development and support deployment, including the potential to ‘equip’ the organisation for ongoing support and development of the approach.
View an example relating to community hospital 'front end' pathways.
View an example relating to re-modelling of intermediate care.
View an example relating to unscheduled care.
View an example relating to the introduction of new treatments.
You can find more information about iThink™ and STELLA™ on Isee Systems's web site.